Denton, Texas – The Wichita State volleyball team earned a key American Conference victory Friday night as the Shockers (7-18, 4-9 American) defeated North Texas (12-12, 5-8 American) 3-0 to remain in the chase to make the American Conference Tournament with just three league games remaining.
This marked the second time the two teams have met in a week. North Texas got the better of Wichita State on its home floor 3-1 last Friday. The Shockers got revenge on this night thanks to 37 kills, six aces and eight blocks on the night.
The first set was tight until the Shockers went on a 4-0 run to take an 18-13 lead. Kills from
Jordan Heatherly and
McKenzie Jones helped WSU turn a one-point lead to five late in the opening set. The Shockers held the lead the rest of the set as an
Eva Krakowski kill followed by two attack errors by the Mean Green sealed a 25-19 set one victory.
North Texas fought back in set two and led by as many as five points before a late Shocker rally changed the course of the match. A 7-0 run from Wichita State turned a three-point deficit into a four-point lead at 24-20. Jones tallied two kills, Heatherly added two aces and a kill, and
Maddie Wilson had two kills to turn the momentum in Wichita State's favor. The Shockers took set two 25-21.
North Texas scored six of the first eight points in set three to once again take an early lead, but the Shockers kept it close and eventually worked back to a tie at 19-19 off a UNT service error. Wichita State went on a 3-0 run to take a 22-19 lead that it would not relinquish.
Olivia Cohee finished off the sweep with a kill that sealed the set 25-23.
Jones led the Shockers with 11 kills, followed by Cohee with nine and Wilson with five. Heatherly registered season highs in kills (4), aces (3), and points (8). Wilson led the way in blocks with six.
The Shockers continue a two-game road trip through Texas as Wichita State will take on UTSA on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. CT and look to make it two wins in a row to close the weekend.
